Staff Favorites - Mike Parres

Reviews

Citrus aromas. Full on the palate. Tasty bright fruit: peach, citrus, and even a hint of melon. The touch of grassy flavors and pure Sauvignon fruit will give you a great idea of what the Sancerre appellation is all about.

Grignolino is a very distinctive grape variety native to Piedmont. It combines pale, Pinot-like color with mouth-filling grip (some tannins). I think of this varietal wine as a dark rosé and I utilize it as one. Cranberry fruit flavors, herbal and rhubarb notes with great acidity. It is one of the classic matches with salumi, and it also complements a broad range of rich or flavorful summertime foods. I take this out of the refrigerator about a half an hour before serving, this really brings out the fruit. The perfect summer red!

This is truly an amazing Pinot. As you open this little treasure, pleasant aromas of wild strawberry, fresh leather and cedar fill the air. Medium to full-bodied. Richly textured berries and game mingle with a long, spicy, soft oak finish with fine tannins and a twist of vanilla on the finish. There is also some of that Alto Adige chalk and porphyry that give this lots of minerals and acidity for balance. This is a wine that will definitely stand up to something very rich on the plate; duck, or I will probably open mine and have with a leg of lamb.

This is a complex blend of Arneis (50%), Sauvignon Blanc (30%) and Chardonnay (20%). The Chardonnay gives the wine body and weight, the Sauvignon Blanc a bold aromatic character, the Arneis lifts the aromatics and balances the body and adds some grip, structure and a decisive finish. It feels more like a white Rhone wine but its aromatics are unique. This is a great summer sipper, on the porch with some cheese, bread & a good friend.

I would call this a user-friendly Brunelli, with hints of old world; there are aromas of blackberries, and flowers, on the palate you will find smoke, wild cherries and minerals, with plenty of dark fruit that carries through to the finish.

This is old world Sangiovese with lots of fruit, ripe blueberries, flowers and red raspberries, earthy with Tuscan dust and minerals, and soft acidity and well balanced tannins and sweet wood and beautiful viscosity. This can keep for several years in the cellar or I would let it open for three to four hours. A must have for 2010 Brunelli,

Collemattoni delivers a mix of black cherry, ripe raspberry and cocoa aromas and flavors, picking up spice and tobacco elements on the Very LONG finish. This is a to drink now and over the next few years, stock up with this Brunelli while you can…

This user friendly 2010 Brunelli has big and bright fruit that hit you first, black cherries cassis and ripe strawberries and then the terroir, Tuscan dust and lots of acidity makes the rest of this wine, giving it a long finish that lingers long on the palate. Drinks very well young and will over the next ten years.

This 2010 Brunello di Montalcino fleshes out beautifully on the palate with layers of super-expressive red fruits, coffee, some plum and spices with just hint of dust and well balanced tannins. The supple, forward personality is best suited for drinking over the three to five years.

The Brunelli’s from Fabio Tassi always remind me of Montalcino. They have the classic Tuscan dust and a little cedar, tobacco as well as fruit. The “Franci” is no exception, this is a bottle that when you remove the cork, I am almost transported back to this little hill town of Montalcino. This is a wine that is Old World in style with enough fruit and balance to keep everyone at the table happy. I will try to keep my hands off for quite a few years, the longer the time, the more I will be rewarded.

Patrizia Cencioni’s Solaria is really a one-woman operation (she does hire help for harvest), and her philosophy is that great wines start in the vineyard and not in the lab. Patrizia really doesn’t put a thumbprint on her wines, she lets the hills of Montalcino and the Sangiovese speak for themselves. I have known and sold this producer’s wines for many years and am excited to do so again. Classic dark and ripe fruit, full-bodied with lots of structure, I would give this a couple hours of decanting.

Very user friendly Brunelli, Beautiful blackberry, cherry and lightly toasted oak on the nose. Full and silky, with berry and cherry flavors and soft tannins. This is the 2010 you can drink sooner then later. Stock up on the Bosco, so it will keep you hands off the long-term 2010 Brunellis.

There is a good mineral character here, a steely edge to the ripe apricot and yellow plum flavors. The wine has enough acidity to maintain its fresh side, and a fine lift on the finish. Nice acidity accompanied by pretty fruit notes, lots of mid-palate weight, but also drive and acidity. I liked this on release, but was really impressed by the weight it had put on with another year in bottle. This is terrific Chardonnay, partially done in stainless and partially in wood foudres.

(Now sealed with screwcap) Matteo Correggia was a pioneer in helping the Roero gain international recognition when there wasn't much in the way of quality wine being produced. Today, the reputation of the Roero is rooted in much of the early work of Matteo and a few daring other pioneers. Matteo's tragic death in a tractor accident in 2001 rallied many of the region's leading winemakers to help his wife Ornella carry on. After a five year transitional period, Ornella took the helm and has been guiding and expanding the direction of the winery ever since. Correggia produces some stunningly good, powerful reds, distinctive and vibrant whites, and an amazing dry Brachetto.

Cabernet from Italy, what were we thinking? That we must share this with you! You will find a little bit of Tuscany (20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc) in this glass that is ripe and fleshy with cocoa, spice, black fruit and density, full-bodied and broad on the palate with complex layers of earth and some soft tannin on the finish. This is a wine that is very user friendly now and has the aging potential of 5-8 years. This is the ideal match for red meats and roasted poultry or just a BIG glass all by itself after a long day from work.

Spicy and bursting with bright fruit and even a touch of mineral, this is not your everyday pink wine. Hearty enough for food, even red meat, this Lagrein rosé is made by one of the Alto Adige's finest wine producers. It will elicit oohs and ahhs from all of your summertime guests. ( Guido )

I love the 2011 Piemontese wines; they are amazing values. The wine’s perfume is pure Nebbiolo: raspberry fruit and dried rose petals with a touch of tobacco and lots of cedar, bursting with sweet fruit, tar, minerals, displaying outstanding depth and fine overall balance. This wine will drink well now and over the next few years, best with the heartiest meats or stews. Better yet, serve after dinner with some great aged cheeses (Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago) and an olive tapenade.

It is just the kind of wine you want when you sit down with a little bread and cheese or when you open something to drink while cooking dinner. Rich and complex, Sangiovese, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Super Tuscan & Super Price !

This wine is 100% Sangiovese and a small marvel of class and power, especially when the vintage is taken into account. There is wonderful richness of fruit, which melds beautifully with the aristocratic oak, giving spicy scents which come through on the palate, too, right to this final licorice note. Dark-colored ruby with concentrated aromas of blackberries, dark cocoa powder and stony minerals. Full-bodied, with big dusty tannins; needs some air time.

And now for something completely different! This is a
Super Tuscan at a super price. This bad boy is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Montepulciano and Alicante, and I swear you can taste all of these. On the palate you will
find flavors of black cherry, plum and soft floral notes blended with silky tannins. The Cabernet
gives this a backbone you can feel and a nice smooth and long finish.

Valpolicella has undergone an amazing transformation from the 60s Bolla version with a red-checked tablecloth to the suave and ultra-hip wine region. This ripasso is a midway point between simple and fresh and the power and size of the Amarone taking the best from both. A wine to drink straight from the bottle, with a straw or with roasted rabbit, or complex pasta dishes. Rockin' Ripasso!

Here is a classic California Chardonnay. This wine has exhilarating aromas of honeysuckle, pear and green apple, with hints of pineapple. On the palate, this wine is rich and full-bodied, with lively fruit, sweet vanilla flavors and a refreshing, long, lingering finish.

This wine shows complexity with all its layers. Rich in body and texture and structure , the wine evolves deeper and deeper in stages with every sip. Three sips tell the story. The first sip is full of white pepper and spice. The second sip shows deep, rich, ripe, black fruit and following with the third sip that glides through the palate with smooth mocha and cocoa and some tannin's, leaving the partaker wanting to explore the wine more and more.

Here is lots of zippy acidity and a little bit of strawberry at the tip of the tongue and then you feel the rocky soil and limestone of Puglia on the really long finish. A great wine for your 4th of July picnics or just summer sipping.

Love this very user-friendly 2010
Brunelli. Here is a wine to stock up on,
and you can drink this bad boy now and
for the three to five years (it will help
you keep your hands off some of your
trophy 2010 Brunellos). Rich with ripe
dark fruit, very smooth with soft acidity,
the tannins are soft as well and the
length on the finish will bring you in to
tomorrow. Yum

I just opened this for our staff tasting recently and this little "Puglia blend" stopped the show, with lots of oohs and ahhs from my coworkers. This wine has lots of bang for the buck. This wine is a blend of 40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo & 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, medium-bodied with dark fruit, good acidity and a really long finish. Two THUMBS up !!! Guido

This has always been one of our favorite Gruners and at the price it is unbelievable. Check out the other vineyard designated Gruners and you'll see that they are all much, much higher priced. This wine has a nose of white pepper, lentil, and citrus rind coupled with a richly textured body and centered with a great core of concentrated fruit. Extraordinary value!

In this wine you will find black cherries, plum with minerals and a touch of chestnuts on the finish. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, this is a very user-friendly Chianti that will show well with the pizza and pasta.

A cross between Riesling and the local red grape Schiava. Though something of a mongrel in terms of ancestry, in the right hands, such as those of the very capable people at Cantina Valle Isarco, it produces a medium-bodied, un-oaked wine full of vibrant fruits and ethereal floral highlights, loves something spicy Thai of Mexican.

Fairly dark red-purple in color with aromas and flavors of blackberries, black plums and tea leaf. It is medium-weight and savory on the palate. I drink this wine with grilled meats, stews, sausages....very versatile. Great value.

The Brunelli’s from Fabio Tassi always remind me of Montalcino. They have the classic Tuscan dust and a little cedar, tobacco as well as fruit. The “Franci” is no exception, this is a bottle that when you remove the cork, I am almost transported back to this little hill town of Montalcino. This is a wine that is Old World in style with enough fruit and balance to keep everyone at the table happy. I will try to keep my hands off for quite a few years, the longer the time, the more I will be rewarded.

This 2010 Brunello di Montalcino fleshes out beautifully on the palate with layers of super-expressive red fruits, coffee, some plum and spices with just hint of dust and well balanced tannins. The supple, forward personality is best suited for drinking over the three to five years.

Wow! Is what I first wrote down as this exploded on my palate, this has a lot more Montalcino in the glass than past years. Dark fruit, leather, terroir and good tannin structure, balanced with acidity, this is Brunello at its best!!! It reminds me of the 2007, that’s still in my cellar. A wine to buy for long term, will age over the next ten to fifteen years.

Plum, cedar and leather aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with a lovely density of ripe fruit and a soft, velvety textured, a little Tuscan dust and soft tannins on the finish. Ripe and beautiful, an opulent wine that opens with sometime in the glass.

The wines of Baccinetti are rich, ripe, dense and full, but retain their balance and elegance. The 2010 Brunello is a stellar example of the vintage, and an exceptional bargain at this price. The palate has pretty cherry fruit with a nice earthy, spicy quality, great structure and good balance of acidity and tannins.

Love this wine, classic Old World Brunello, earthy, wet leather aromas blow off to ripe and decadent fruit. Full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins and a long, luscious aftertaste of ripe fruit and tobacco. (in my top ten of 2010)

Patrizia Cencioni’s Solaria is really a one-woman operation (she does hire help for harvest), and her philosophy is that great wines start in the vineyard and not in the lab. Patrizia really doesn’t put a thumbprint on her wines, she lets the hills of Montalcino and the Sangiovese speak for themselves. I have known and sold this producer’s wines for many years and am excited to do so again. Classic dark and ripe fruit, full-bodied with lots of structure, I would give this a couple hours of decanting.

This 2010 Brunello is beautifully layered, expressive wine bursting with sweet ripe strawberries, black cherries intermingled with subtle earth and toasted oak notes, minerals and a hint of bitter chocolate on the on the finish, round and ripe tannins and a long aftertaste. This is a must for the cellar, if you can try to give it some age (next 5 years), if not give about 2 to three hours of decanting.

Very attractive and very user friendly Brunello, plum aromas, with hints of dried flowers and cedar, follow through to a medium-to-full body, with soft tannins and a clean, fresh finish. A Wine-der-ful for early drinking.

Very user friendly Brunelli, Beautiful blackberry, cherry and lightly toasted oak on the nose. Full and silky, with berry and cherry flavors and soft tannins. This is the 2010 you can drink sooner then later. Stock up on the Bosco, so it will keep you hands off the long term 2010 Brunelli's (WoooHoooo a Mag !!!)

Medium-bodied, it is characterized
by fruity notes (cherry and raspberry) and hints of spices and herbs,sort of like a cross between Beaujolais and Bourgeuil. It is mouthwatering and savory. I like to give this a slight chill and pair it with grilled poultry or just sip it on the porch with some salami and salty cheese.